


In Her Element

by Kaslyna



Category: Snowpiercer (TV 2020)
Genre: Based on a one off line in 1.03, F/M, I only got 4 hours of sleep to stay up to write this fic, Set between 1.04 and 1.05, engineering stuff i don't understand, even though most of my friends irl are engineers of some kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25960555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaslyna/pseuds/Kaslyna
Summary: “You told me the other day you wished you were welding, so,” he gestured at the equipment on the floor, “I thought I’d give you the opportunity to.”Or, Bennett tries to give Melanie an excuse to be an engineer.
Relationships: Melanie Cavill/Bennett Knox
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	In Her Element

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so I started rewatching (two days after I finished, it's Fine) and there's a quick line in 1.03 where Melanie is looking at someone welding and tells Bennett she wishes she was welding. And thus this fic was born.

Melanie was on her way to the engine to relieve Javi of being at the helm for the night. It had been another rough day and she would kill for some sleep, or at least some coffee. With that in mind, she barely mumbled a greeting as she made her way to the coffee machine after getting comfortable for her shift. 

“Oh, Bennett called,” Javi told her without even turning from the helm. 

Her brow furrowed, “Did he now?”

“Yeah, said he needed you at the cattle car as soon as possible,” Javi informed her, “Sounded somewhat urgent. I can stay here until you come back.”

Melanie let out a heavy sigh, putting down the coffee before she could even drink it and covered her face with her hands. Apparently even a quiet night at the helm was out of the question for her. 

She didn’t bother to dress in her hospitality uniform again, though she did swap out her MIT sweatshirt for a neutral long sleeved shirt less likely to invite questions should she bump into someone along the way. Melanie did her best to hurry downtrain, praying that it was nothing so pressing that she would spend the whole night figuring it out. 

“Alright Ben, what did you need me-?” she paused as she took in the underbelly of the car that was empty save for the man in question before belatedly finishing, “...For? Javi made it sound urgent, but it doesn’t look that way.”

“I may have embellished the truth a bit,” he admitted as he came towards her, proffering her her coat. She gratefully accepted the gesture, enjoying the way he touched her just a bit too freely as his hands slid down her arms, presumably to make sure that the coat was adjusted properly, even though they both knew such a thing was not needed.

“And why would you do that?” she turned to face him again, confused. 

“Because I have a surprise for you,” Bennett smiled, a bit nervous as he held out his hand, “I told the team to get a couple of hours of rest.”

“Hm,” she replied, taking his hand and allowing herself to be led to the far wall. 

“You told me the other day you wished you were welding, so,” he gestured at the equipment on the floor, “I thought I’d give you the opportunity to.”

“Ben…” she breathed, “Javi has been at the helm almost twelve hours.”

“I know,” he grimaced, “But I promised to cover the first three hours of his next shift to make it up to him.”

“Okay,” Melanie’s voice was barely above a whisper. 

She let Bennett help her put on the necessary equipment and set up. Once she started he barely attempted to talk to her, content to lean against another wall out of the way of any sparks and watch her in her element. This was who Melanie truly was, underneath all the layers and personas she had had to adopt to keep Snowpiercer functioning: a woman who enjoyed building things, putting pieces together. They shared a love of engineering, of creating something from almost nothing. It was, perhaps, what had first drawn him to her. 

“We’ve got about twenty minutes before the team returns,” he reluctantly broke the comfortable silence that had settled upon them. 

She sighed, setting down her equipment and throwing up her face shield, “Sometimes I really wish that this was my _only_ duty to the train.”

“I know,” he gave her a sympathetic look, “You’re really in your element here.”

She smiled as she stepped down towards him, and didn’t hesitate to wrap herself around him, letting out a contented noise against his neck. He’d only seen her this relaxed one other time, after the bees died. But he let her dictate that particular aspect of their relationship, and so he’d found another way to bring her peace. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled into him.

“Any time, Mel,” he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, unable to help himself. 

Melanie pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. The smile on her face was sweet, and Bennett wanted to bask in it forever if he could. It was hard to believe sometimes that the woman in his arms was the same woman who ruled their small kingdom with an iron fist. He knew exactly who she was, all the little contradictions of her. The good and the bad. Her highs and her lows. He also knew that he was the only one she allowed herself to be _this_ vulnerable with, and he did his best to earn that trust every day. 

“Wait,” her look turned mischievous in an instant, one of her hands reaching to toy with the collar of his jumpsuit, “Was this a date?”

“If you like,” he replied, equally playful. 

“Hm,” she eyed him up and down, pretending to consider the idea, “I think maybe I _would_. If you keep sneaking me in to do engineering work in the middle of the night, I’d let you have anything you wanted.”

“What I want,” he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Is for you to start taking better care of yourself, because I can’t help but worry about how little you eat or sleep.”

Melanie’s affronted look was priceless and Bennett had to stop himself from laughing, choosing instead to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. He let his hand caress her cheek gently before retracting it. The truth was they had no time for anything right now, and he didn’t want to torture them both by pretending otherwise. Besides which, he couldn’t quite tell if she was serious or just messing with him, and he wasn’t in the mood to find out by making the wrong move. 

“Well,” she huffed finally, “Tell that to the citizens of this train.”

“You’re amazing, you know?” Bennett asked, his voice and face going soft, “Not many people could do what you have to do on a daily basis and survive it. But I wish you’d let people take care of you too, Mel.”

“My day off in hospitality is Wednesday,” she admitted, “If you cover my shift at the helm I will _try_ to get some sleep. _Try_. I can’t promise anything.”

“That works for me,” he leaned forward to kiss her forehead in thanks, unable to stop finding ways to touch her, “Now, go make sure Javi isn’t too mad that I stole you away for over two hours.”

“See you tomorrow, Ben,” she smiled as she pulled back from him fully. 

“I look forward to it,” his voice was equally as happy. 

As soon as Melanie left he deflated a bit, feeling the weight of his own exhaustion. His little diversion had bought him the time necessary to give Melanie a moment of respite, but it meant he’d be working on repairs longer, the other men assuming he’d gone home to rest too. Still, it was worth it just to see her genuinely happy and relaxed, especially with everything else going on at the moment. He couldn’t regret that. 

Instead, as he waited for the team to return, Bennett wracked his brain for other engineering issues he could find a way to involve Melanie in. He wanted to give her refuge from carrying the fate of humanity on her shoulders, in any way possible.

Helping her remember why she had come on to this project in the first place was the best way he could think of doing that. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote it in the middle of the night and tried to edit it but because I barely slept I did my best. May or may not edit it further when I'm not as sleep deprived (she says, as if she's not perpetually sleep deprived) but I felt comfortable posting it as is, so. I hope people liked it!!


End file.
